UFC President Dana White hasn’t exactly been shy about his adoration for women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. In a transition period with future Hall of Fame champions like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre beginning to phase out of the sport, Rousey has become one of the promotion’s brightest stars. With Rousey having only failed to stop an opponent in the first round once in her 10-0 career (4-0 UFC), White has been criticized by some for failing to book her against more challenging opponents. White shrugs off the critique, comparing Rousey’s current reign to a time when heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson heard the same sentiments.
“[It’s] like saying they should have had some better fights for Mike Tyson,” White told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. “The Tyson era was one of the most awesome eras in boxing history.
“You hear Ronda Rousey’s last fight went 16 seconds and you’re like, ‘Sixteen seconds?’ But what she did in those 16 seconds was un … believable. For 16 seconds, she traded punches, knocked [Davis] out with one, caught her under her arm, kneed her to the stomach, threw her and then hit her with about 15 punches. That all happened in 16 seconds.”
Downplaying the failure of her opponents, Rousey credits her own work ethic as for why there seems to be such a chasm between her and the competition.
“The one thing that sets me apart from all these girls is that I work harder than them,” said Rousey.
“Mike Tyson had some serious competition too, don’t forget. It wasn’t always easy,” Rousey said. “People knew from those fights to get there immediately.”
For one of the sports most predictable stars, at least as finishing goes, Rousey says it’s her unpredictability that makes her must see TV.
“You never know what’s going to happen in one of my fights, either. That’s the advantage I have over my opponents and what draws the fans in so much. From the second my fight starts to the second it’s over, nobody sits down.”
5 MUST-READ STORIES
You might have heard. Jon Jones has suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and a sprained ankle and his UFC light heavyweight title bout with Daniel Cormier has been moved from Sept. 27 to Jan. 3. Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso will now headline UFC 178.
‘It was my fight to begin with.’ Ready in January, Alexander Gustafsson wants back into the title shot he earned against Jon Jones.
That news. Bellator is considering adding a women’s division and has engaged in preliminary talks to sign Gina Carano.
‘New Sonnen.’ Jose Aldo says Conor McGregor is working hard to ‘skip the line.’ ‘He speaks very well, I think he’ll reach his goals very fast. About the belt, someday we’ll meet and then we’ll see who is who.’
Bounty Hunter. Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman goes into detail on how he plans to apprehend Jon Koppenhaver. ‘We are very close to him right now. We just have to handle it right because we don’t want anyone killed.’
MEDIA STEW
Cormier reacts to the postponement news.
Ronda Rousey making the rounds.
Jon Jones on life lessons.
International MMA highlights from Road FC, Roshambo, and Victory FC.
TTTHS.
It’s a montage.
Long watches.
ADCC 2013 Beijing China – The Road To Glory E01
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#GymRescue / Episode 1 w Frank Shamrock & Randy Couture on SpikeTV
TWEETS
Get well soon.
Heal up @jonnybones see u in January! DC
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) August 13, 2014
Bout time.
Bad: You’ll have to wait a bit longer to see me win again. Good: I’m the new UFC 178 headliner. Bout time that card gets a real main event.
— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouseUFC) August 13, 2014
DC or Gus?
@TJ_Grant @AlexTheMauler @JonnyBones already beat him give him the grudge match….
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) August 13, 2014
“@BigEPerez: Hey @dc_mma Idk if u heard but @AlexTheMauler wants your spot 4 #ufc182.” No chance
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) August 13, 2014
Football stadiums.
The stadiums get bigger. The vision gets clearer. UFC in the Aviva? @lorenzofertitta @danawhite pic.twitter.com/rd7LqDsAue
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 12, 2014
@TheNotoriousMMA @danawhite let’s do it!
— Lorenzo Fertitta (@lorenzofertitta) August 12, 2014
Congrats.
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) August 12, 2014
Signing a 4 fight deal with @ufc AND bout agreement vs Zombie! No prisoners will be taken. It’s gonna get nasty! pic.twitter.com/hLbkRWhxWT
— Akira Corassani (@AkiraCorassani) August 12, 2014
Five on one.
If there was no fouls In B-Ball I think we could be great!! #Fab5 @lastcall155 @UrijahFaber @TJDillashaw @chadmendes pic.twitter.com/zKNhF3EDDd
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) August 12, 2014
About to hit the court!! pic.twitter.com/81jtqiUX8g
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) August 12, 2014
Ice.
More time to practice.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Aug. 13 2014)
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier moved from UFC 178 to UFC 182
Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso moved from UFC 177 to UFC 178
Melvin Manhoef vs. Doug Marshall at Bellator 125
James Irvin vs. Brian Rogers at Bellator 125
Martin Stapleton vs. Goiti Yamauchi at Bellator 125
Javy Ayala vs. Raphael Butler at Bellator 125
Anthony Birchak vs. Joe Soto at UFC 177
cancelled Tim Elliott vs. Wilson Reis at UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Dos Anjos
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via Michael Shulski.
Poll: Online Debate of the War Machine Debacle
The story and online pictures of Christy Mack’s abuse at the hands of War Machine are disturbing to say the least. Because this happened in the age of widespread social media, mma fans have been able to argue the culpability of the parties and how it will affect the wider public’s perception of the sport. Three topics in the forums deserve special consideration.
A) “Lock up War Machine and throw away the key”. Sure, fans are concerned that War Machine will receive little punishment for his actions. These fears, however, are misplaced. This is War Machine’s third strike as far as felony level assaults. Any judge in their right mind would not practise any discretion in enforcing the Three Strikes rule in this case. War Machine will be sentenced to between ten and twenty years of prison for the most recent offense. Online discussion of War Machine’s punishment is not necessary as the criminal justice system will give him what he deserves.
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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